Palestinians evacuate a body from the site of the strike in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday.
The trumpets of victory sounded immediately. The dust did not yet settle over the mangled tents of the displaced in Mawasi before the studios began playing “total victory.” Nir Dvori declared with a glowing face, as if he personally had ordered the assassination, that Mohammed Deif “was mortal” (there is also this kind of Israeli journalism); Almog Boker promised that “it’s looking good”; the ad talked about “the sweet moments in life”; and Moriah Asraf Wolberg broke the sanctity of her Shabbat (saving a life is paramount) to say, “We all hope that Deif is dead.” All of us? Almost all of us.
In the time between the writing of these lines and their publication, Israel will celebrate like never before. You don’t have to be a purist to struggle to understand the meaning of this joy. It mostly indicates the depths of the sickness. A killing has yet to arrive in the endless chain of Israel’s assassinations that brings with it a significant achievement to the country other than the joy of the masses and their desire for revenge satisfied – and again it celebrates victory.
Did the Palestinians who assassinated Rehavam Zeevi achieve anything? Israel will pay the price for this assassination, just as it has paid directly and indirectly, immediately or eventually, for every previous assassination.
If the gates of hell from Lebanon open now – we will know the price. If Hamas uses its remaining strength to enact any kind of revenge – we will know the price. If Deif is replaced by someone more extreme, like after the assassinations of Sheikh Yassin and Abbas Musawai – we will know the price.
And, most of all, if the cease-fire and hostages deal becomes deadlocked – we will know the price. There are no scenarios more predictable than these, but Israel nonetheless celebrates its victory.
However, above all hangs the question: How many barbaric killings is Israel allowed to commit to eliminate a commander or two, however mortal and wicked they may be. This question is not asked in Israel. If anyone were to dare raise it, he’d get the automatic response, “as many as necessary.”